


A Mysterious Way About You ...

by ScribblesInTheMargins



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Christmas, Fluff, Homesickness, M/M, oblivious boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:55:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21947689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScribblesInTheMargins/pseuds/ScribblesInTheMargins
Summary: Training in South Korea under Seung-Gil Lee's coach meant that this Christmas, JJ was half a world away from his family and alone ... but maybe he wasn't alone.  Maybe he was just a little oblivious when the signs were subtle.
Relationships: Lee Seung Gil/Jean-Jacques Leroy
Comments: 18
Kudos: 64





	A Mysterious Way About You ...

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EvilWitchy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EvilWitchy/gifts).



> Merry Christmas [ EvilWitchy ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EvilWitchy/pseuds/EvilWitchy) This is the Christmas 'Card' Exchange for 18 on Ice :) [ 18+!!!! On Ice Doscord ](https://discord.gg/jRXfSXc)

December 24th.

This place wasn't Montreal. This place was nothing like Montreal. He didn't have training today, which wasn't a surprise. It was Christmas eve, but he hadn't decorated at all. He had bought decorations. The main streets of the town were all decorated with trees and 'Chrismas music' was everywhere -- even if it was set to more of a pop beat and mostly in a language he barely understood.

Jean closed his eyes, sitting on the couch. Maybe he should just get something to eat delivered. He didn't want local food -- he wanted to be home. He wanted his grandmother's pie and his mother's special cheesy potatoes that she only made during the holidays. He had thought that he'd be fine. He had assumed since he was a twenty-two-year-old man now that he could spend the holidays away from home and be just fine. He wasn't.

He had been doing okay, until his 'this day 1 year ago' and 'this day 2 years ago' and 'this day 5 years ago' notifications had started -- and the well-intentioned sharing by friends and family of old pics. He had thought that once he was over her, those pictures wouldn't hurt as much. He was over her -- he wasn't over being alone. Last year she had evidently been 'trying to make the best of the holidays'. Just being honest would have been less cruel.

His mood ruined, he walked over to the little plastic tree that was half-assembled on the side table he had shoved in the corner. Sighing, and without any Christmas spirit, he knelt down next to it, putting the rest of the plastic limbs together and plugging it in. It was cute, just a little three-foot tree. Even if he didn't feel like decorating it, he started to anyways. These weren't the glass ornaments at home. These weren't the ones from his Great Grandmother or his Aunt or the strange little glass owls from his Great-Great-Aunt Adalisa. These were just plastic balls in red that he was putting on his 'Canadian' Christmas tree. He liked red. He wished it was the owls that he had thought were creepy since he was six.

It was late -- it wasn't late yet back home. Timezones, sometimes he really hated them. He couldn't call his parents for a … well, until tomorrow after Christmas. He sat there on the couch, deciding what to do. Going to mass, he couldn't do that. Not tonight. It didn't feel like Christmas Eve. He heard the clicking of dog nails in the hallway and looked over to the door, just in time to hear the knock. He hadn't been expecting anyone, and most certainly not who he was near positive was at his door.

Standing, JJ walked over to open it -- maybe it should have been a surprise that there was a frowning man on his doorstep, the husky on a short leash. "Hey." He hadn't expected this. He'd expected Seung-Gil to have taken the short break in training to go home, but the man was there and looking annoyed. "Uh …"

"You put up a tree?" He was looking past JJ, surprised, but maybe he shouldn't have been.

"Yeah, it … do you want to come in?" Seung-Gil was so hard for him to figure out. In so many ways they were a study in opposites. JJ was loud and outgoing. Seung-Gil was quiet and reserved. JJ spent most of his free time on his studies -- Seung-Gil playing first-person shooters (and kicked JJ's ass at that the few times they had plated together). JJ had never had a pet, and Seung-Gil … JJ dropped to a knee, "And how are you, sweetie?" His hands reaching out to pet the Husky who was almost instantly in his space, bouncing and licking and showing how much she adored JJ.

"Actually, I was going to take her for a walk and get dinner … did you want to?" The invitation was extended with a little shrug of a shoulder as if it were no big deal.

"I had assumed everything would be busy?" He looked up, still on one knee as he scritched under the dog's collar.

"I have a reservation." The other shoulder was shrugged this time.

"Oh -- sure." Maybe there was going to be a bunch of people, maybe someone had canceled -- whatever the case, JJ was not going to let the opportunity slip away to get something to eat. "Just let me grab a coat."

It wasn't that cold, but he almost needed the chance to think for a moment more than he needed a jacket. As he hurried back to his bedroom to grab the Team Canada jacket that had been thrown across the bed, he paused to breathe. He had to remember, this was just friends. Seung-Gil was just being nice. Sure, people said he didn't waste time on friendships and such -- but they just didn't know him, right?

JJ was here, training under his coach for a break from Canada -- besides, four continents was going to be here. This made sense. He pulled on the jacket, then paused for a moment to run his fingers through his hair, telling himself that he just wanted to look presentable in public.

Soon, they were walking towards a busier part of town, maybe they were taking the dog to dinner -- honestly, since getting to Korea, JJ had seen so many things that were different from Canada that it wouldn't surprise him.

"I was going to drop her off." Seung-Gil looked over, and JJ would have sworn there was something strange about the look.

"Of course. Yeah - I mean, if we're going someplace to eat, clearly she … " He stopped himself from babbling. He knew the dog normally spent hours every day at Seung-Gil's home, there was no need to worry or be concerned. JJ smiled, giving his best bright grin -- the fake smile that was so associated with his brand by now.

  
  


"You don't have to do that." The words were soft as they walked up to the small home that JJ knew was Seung-Gil's. 

He'd been here a few times, beers and video games, exactly what he had needed on occasion to deal with the homesickness of being half a world away from his family. "Do what?"

"Fake smile like everything is okay. It's fine. Let all the other idiots be fake today. You don't have to be." 

JJ stood there, not sure what to say to that as Seung-Gil walked into his apartment to take off the leash, letting his Husky had the run of the apartment as he closed the door to walk back to JJ. "I invited the real you to dinner, not the one the press bothers." Then, with JJ still stunned, he grabbed onto the sleeve of JJ's coat, leading him down the street past all of the couples out doing their Christmas activities -- and JJ was very quickly realizing that 'Christmas' in Korea was just as much of a couple's holiday as it was in Japan -- and he had seen years now of pictures of Yuuri Katsuki to drive home that point.

As they walked towards a busier street, JJ let himself fall into step with Seung-Gil, realizing the hand was still on his jacket. Maybe he was reading this wrong. Ever since he had arrived, the other man had been so kind. He'd helped him find a place to live, he'd introduced him to his friends, he'd invited him over -- everything that JJ had been trying to attribute to being a good host when the man was known for being aloof at competitions. He could brush it off as just being himself if this went poorly ... well, he hoped.

As they walked down the road that was lit by garish Christmas decor, JJ took the risk. He reached over, gently setting his hand over Seung-Gil's It was just a gentle touch, easy to move away from if it wasn't wanted. He didn't move away.

When they reached the restaurant it was very clear, tonight in this place, this holiday was treated more like Valentine's Day than his idea of Christmas eve. "This is … intimate." He almost said romantic, and it was. That was a little too much of a risk though.

"It is." There wasn't a hint of any sort in Seung-Gil's tone, but maybe JJ had learned to not expect any signs by this point. No, that wasn't true, his head was still trying to wrap around this. Was that what the nights playing video games, the snacks, the random texts … was that what all of those were?

The menu was in Korean. Unlike most of the places JJ ate at, this menu did not have pictures. As he looked at it, Seung-Gil spoke up. "Would you like me to order for you?"

Even as JJ was nodding at that, he realized exactly what that was. That was a nearly transparent excuse for Seung-Gil to order for him. "That would be great, I trust your judgment on this." He wasn't even going to ask what anything was. JJ had very much realized that he was being taken on a date.

With Christmas lights flickering through the windows and white reindeer statues with tinsel in the restaurant, JJ forgot about how homesick he had been feeling. The night became in a way an education in winter Korean food - but more than that, an education in what Seung-Gil liked. 

There was laughter as something was spicier than JJ had expected. He had no idea what it was that he had eaten, but that Seung-Gil had laughed? Yes, that was special.

All too soon, dinner was over and they were leaving the restaurant. So many couples were still out and the Christmas decorations, walking hand in hand or even closer. JJ made his decision, he had never been timid. You missed 100% of the shots you didn't take. It was a motto he lived by. He reached out, wrapping an arm around Seung-Gil's waist. He pulled him a little closer, with a soft, "It's getting cold." It was true, but it was hardly an excuse to put Seung-Gil so close to him.

"You're warm." Those dark eyes dropped down, looking away, but he leaned more into JJ, letting himself lean into the man. Maybe it was just a simple statement of fact, but JJ was willing to bed that it was much more than that.

"So, what do people normally do on Christmas eve?" He let his fingers play at Seung-Gil's side, feeling the soft fabric of the man's shirt under his palm.

"Shopping, eating, giving gifts -- couples will do things like a romantic dinner, going sledding on one of the hills they've made, or skating is popular."

"I really think neither of us would like going skating." he laughed at that, keeping the other man close as he realized that they were walking back to Seung-Gil's place.

"No, skating would be -- redundant." With a deep breath, and full well knowing that this was the most he had ever said to anyone in one evening, he asked, "What do … people do in Canada?"

"Well, my family would be getting ready to go to Midnight mass, but I think just, curling up on a couch and watching a Christmas movie?" For a moment, he paused, "How does that sound to you?"

"Sound to me?"

"Tonight, do you want to curl up on the couch and watch a sappy Christmas movie?"

They were at the doorway now, but Seung-Gil hadn't moved to open the door yet, instead he was looking up at JJ. "You'd enjoy that?"

"Would you?" JJ's lips slipped into a happy smirk as he looked at Seung-Gil, watching the man not willing to admit that yes, he would like to do that. As soon as there was a nod in response, JJ leaned in. He'd never been one to hold back, it had never been his style. Their lips met in the briefest of kisses, and the smile he had at how wide-eyed Seung-Gil was in response couldn't be hidden.

"I would like that." 

"Good, because I would, too."

Homesickness was forgotten in exchange for a night of kissing on the couch while some Christmas classic playing on the TV and the dog slept at their feet.

  
  



End file.
